In 1991, while tanks were rolling through Moscow's Red Square and the Soviet Union was collapsing, Sergei Krikalev was in space, 217 miles away from earth on the Mir space station. He was nicknamed “the last citizen of the USSR.” When the Soviet Union broke apart into 15 separate states, Krikalev was told he couldn’t return home, because home no longer existed. Officials said there was no money to bring him back, and a month later, he still got the same answer — mission control was asking him to stay out there a bit longer. Another month passed, but still the same answer yet again. In reality, he actually could have left. There was a Raduga re-entry capsule onboard the Mir, which was designed specifically for making the return to earth. However, taking it would have meant the end of Mir, since there was no one else left to look after it. In the meantime, Krikalev was faced with the consequences of a prolonged space mission — muscle atrophy, radiation, cancer risk, and the immune system becoming weaker with every passing day. He finally returned to earth on March 25, 1992 after Germany paid $24 million to purchase a ticket for his replacement, Klaus-Dietrich Flade. Krikalev had spent 311 days in space, unwittingly setting a world record in the process.

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Sections

On This Day

1968 Sirhan Sirhan is indicted for the assassination of US Senator Robert Kennedy. He was sentenced to life in prison. He has been up for parole 15 times, denied each time on the grounds that he has not expressed adequate remorse for his crime.

Fact of the Day

The 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia was so loud that it was heard over 3,000 miles away, which is the equivalent of hearing a sound from Ireland while you are in Boston. It ruptured the eardrums of sailors over 40 miles away.

Nature Oddities

Rats can go up to 2 weeks without water, longer than camels, who can only go 3-5 days without water.

Food and Drink

English legend claims that the name “sirloin steak” comes from when King James I of England was so impressed by the quality of his steak that he knighted the loin of beef, which was referred to thereafter as “Sirloin.”